Summary
This experimental study examined how grassland species diversity influences zinc and selenium uptake through controlled pot trials and field comparisons. Whilst mineral uptake increased significantly with species richness, this effect was driven primarily by the superior biomass production and inherent mineral concentrations of individual component species rather than by interspecific facilitation. The authors recommend that forage mixture design should prioritise species selection based on both productivity and mineral accumulation capacity.
UK applicability
The findings are directly applicable to United Kingdom pasture and forage production systems, where multispecies grassland mixtures are increasingly adopted. The results suggest that UK farmers seeking to optimise mineral uptake in forage should select species combinations based on established productive and mineral-accumulating characteristics rather than relying on species diversity alone.
Key measures
Aboveground biomass production, tissue zinc and selenium concentrations, total zinc and selenium uptake, species richness gradient
Outcomes reported
The study measured zinc and selenium uptake in grassland species grown as monocultures and mixtures across pot and field experiments, and assessed whether species richness or interspecific facilitation drove changes in mineral uptake.
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